Ben Johnson just pulled a move that casual fans might hate, but smart fans love. Caleb Williams won't see the field for the Bears’ preseason opener against Miami, and that wasn’t about protecting feelings or “resting” him like it’s a vet day in the NBA. This was about playing the long game — putting Williams in the best position to succeed when it actually matters instead of feeding him meaningless preseason snaps just to keep fans entertained.
If you’re mad he didn’t play, congratulations — you’ve officially missed the point.
The “Joint Practice Is the Real Game” Era
Here’s the deal: Johnson didn’t wake up and decide Caleb needed an extra Gatorade break. This is part of a modern NFL coaching shift where joint practices are treated like gold and preseason games are treated like the junk drawer in your kitchen — occasionally useful, but mostly just where you stash things you don’t really need.
The Bears host the Dolphins for a joint practice on today. Unlike a preseason game, Johnson could script the hell out of it. Want Caleb to face a specific blitz package five times in a row? Done. Need him to work a two-minute drill without the stress of game flow killing momentum? Easy. Want him to target a particular corner or test a new route combo with DJ Moore? You can do that in a controlled setting without risking him getting smoked by a desperate roster-bubble linebacker trying to make a highlight tackle.
As Johnson put it, “We’re going to get great work in the joint practice… where we’re actually going to end up getting more reps for them than they would have if we played them Week 1 in this game.” Translation: “We’re getting the good stuff Friday. Sunday is just for the backups and the desperate.”
Safety Ain’t Just for Seatbelts
Let’s be real — the actual biggest reason Williams sat? Injury risk management. After the COVID-altered 2020 season, injury trend studies started making coaches sweat. You want live reps, but you don’t want your QB2 starting by Week 3 because your franchise guy popped an ankle in a preseason nothingburger.
Preseason games are basically the Wild West. Second- and third-string defenders are flying around like they’ve got a bounty on anyone in a different colored jersey. Joint practices, on the other hand, are competitive but measured. You’re not getting some fringe defensive end diving at your QB’s knees in a last-ditch attempt to make the roster.
Sean McVay’s Rams basically turned this into a religion — Matthew Stafford doesn’t even look at a preseason huddle. The proof’s in the results: the Rams stayed healthy enough to stay competitive, and more coaches are finally catching on.
Caleb’s History Demands This
Here’s the part nobody should ignore — Caleb Williams was sacked 68 freaking times last year. That’s not just bad. That’s “burn the tape, fire the line coach, and start looking at neck brace endorsements” bad. Every unnecessary snap in August is another chance to add to that tally before the games count.
Williams needs controlled learning, not live chaos. Joint practices let Johnson:
- Script red zone looks until they’re muscle memory
- Drill third-and-long situations without wasting drives
- Pause mid-rep and fix a mechanical flaw on the spot
- Test new protections without risking an actual sack
This isn’t just smart; it’s essential if you want your QB surviving to December.
Building a System, Not Just Running Plays
Don’t forget — Johnson isn’t just here to call plays. He’s here to install an entirely new offensive system in Chicago. The Bears aren’t trying to put “Bears 21, Dolphins 17” on a meaningless August scoreboard. They’re trying to get Williams fluent in Johnson’s scheme, which, in Detroit, turned Jared Goff into a top-five passer and made the Lions the NFL’s highest-scoring offense.
Preseason games don’t show your real playbook. You run vanilla packages because the last thing you want is Week 1 opponents having film on your bread-and-butter concepts. Joint practices? That’s where you can quietly start layering in your actual offense without feeding it to every defensive coordinator with NFL Game Pass.
This Isn’t a Gamble — It’s the Trend
Back in 2019, barely half the league bothered with joint practices. Now? Twenty-nine teams are doing it. Bill Belichick — the guy who treated every competitive advantage like nuclear codes — flat-out says teams “get way more” out of them than preseason games.
The results are hard to argue with. The Lions, Eagles, and others have sat starters for the entire preseason and still come out swinging in Week 1. This isn’t just “new wave” coaching. It’s the data-backed, keep-your-stars-healthy-and-ready method.
Long-Term > Short-Term
The Bears didn’t draft Caleb Williams to win August. They drafted him to end a quarterback curse that’s lasted longer than some of their fans have been alive. Sitting him for one meaningless exhibition isn’t just acceptable — it’s proof Ben Johnson actually gets it.
He’s not here to “give the fans a look” at Caleb before Week 1. He’s here to make sure Caleb is still upright, confident, and sharp by Week 10, when the playoff race starts taking shape. Every snap that doesn’t risk that is a win.
The Bears spent the offseason fixing the line, adding weapons like TE Colston Loveland, and handing Johnson the keys to a modern, dynamic offense. Now they’re protecting that investment the right way.
Final Verdict
This wasn’t about being cautious — it was about being calculated. If you want a head coach who makes decisions for the highlight reel, you got the wrong guy. If you want one who’s building a winner brick-by-brick, you might finally have found him.
